Last night I had a brief conversation with my buddy Scott about Form & Function and how each relates and interacts with each other. We chuckled at some examples where Form definitely trumped Function. Then I came across Ferrari’s latest promo for their new F12 Berlinetta. Ferrari engineers have once again proved that Form & Function can coexist in a balance that not only exudes beauty, but performs in a world class of its own. The latest 2-seater coupe from Ferrari certainly knows how to get the blood flowing. Like the C-pillar winglets on the 599, the hood aero is simply sick!!!

Ferrari have just upped the ante when it comes to aerodynamics. Ferrari engineers, implementing wind management lessons from their Formula 1 race cars, have reduced drag and increased down-force a whopping 76%. Wow!

If there was one word to describe Cars on Fifth this year, it would be perfect. Located on the exclusive 5th street in Naples, Florida, Cars On 5th consists of blocks worth of Exotic and Classic cars flanked with the best shopping and restaurants that Naples has to offer. This luxury atmosphere keeps us coming back year after year. The reason why I say this year was perfect was a great combination of cool seventy degree weather, a great crowd, and the best cars to date.

Much like the variety of restaurants on 5th street, the diversity of cars at Cars On Fifth is quite special. There are very few shows where you see a classic truck slammed on bags across from a Shelby GT500 which is parked next to a Gulf blue Mercedes SLS AMG; While for the most part, cars are grouped by make and model, juxtapositions like that remind you if you like cars, you can appreciate them all. That ideal is seen throughout Cars on Fifth, everyone appreciates everything. Look in any direction and you’ll see a Ferrari guy talking to a Ford guy about his Mustang, or a crowd of Porsche enthusiasts admiring a slammed Rat Rod. Simply put, there is no hate.

So what stood out to me? Well, the first car that made me go “wow” was a gulf blue SLS AMG. There wasn’t a whole lot special about it, except that beautiful powder blue and that’s enough for me. My other best in show was the two-tone Ferrari 458 Italia. The black accents on this hot new Ferrari took it to the next level, and a great example of subtlety going a long way. This was why in a row of six 458’s it was the one that everyone was talking about.

I could go on and on about the beauty of dozens of the cars there, but I’m sure you would rather just look at the pictures. With something for everyone from food to shopping to all types of cars, Cars On Fifth keeps getting better and better with each passing year. Their only problem will be topping the perfection of this year’s show!

Last Friday night Erik and I decided to leave the old office and checkout Bizspeed.net’s West Palm Beach Supercar Block Party. Up to Palm Beach we went, finding a block of Clematis Street in Palm Beach shut down and filled up with exactly what you would expect; Supercars. All the usual suspects were present, Nissan GTRs, Dodge Vipers, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Aston Martins.

With the addition of a DJ and cool white lights, we were treated to a party vibe we don’t normally see at shows. The unique lighting gave us the idea to try out some long exposure shots. With people moving around some interesting ghost images were produced that only added to the pictures.

Check out our “artsy” take on Bizspeed.net’s Supercar Block Party, if you like this look leave a comment below!

Hopefully you can get your mind out of the gutter long enough to give this some thought; Do cars sometimes look better from behind than from the front? Check out the rear views of the Lamborghini Aventador and the Ferrari 458 Italia below and tell me these euro whips don’t look stunning from the back.

As you all know, many people tend to evaluate the design of a fine automobile in the same way they evaluate a beautiful woman. Words like ‘slim waistline’, ‘curvacious lines’, and ’46DD tailpipes’ are flung around all to often when referring to the design of some of today’s automobiles. I believe that some auto’s are better looking in the caboose than they are looking head on. These two euro’s are prime examples of where more attention was clearly paid to the rear end design than to the front, in my opinion. You may disagree with me, and that is O.K. Leaving the side view, the 3/4 view, and the rolling view out of the equation, it is my opinion that I would rather stare for hours at the back end of these euro’s than the nose. Sue me.

Cheers to the ass-men of the automotive design world. Long-live Kim Kardashian.

What’s better than being track-side during one of racing’s most enduring races besides being one of the drivers? Being able to watch the multitude of perspectives uploaded to ‘The Network’ covering the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. This is where the engineering of these mechanical wonders and the perseverance of the spirit of racing is put to the test. One lap around is over 15 miles and with an entry list of over 200 cars, there is definitely no shortage of action.

From winter snowbanks to summer dessert, the Ferrari FF has you covered. The likely hood of you taking a joy ride through either of these scenarios is highly unlikely, but it’s peace of mind to know that you can in your brand new all-wheel drive Ferrari? Thought I’d never use “all-wheel drive” and “Ferrari” in the same sentence. Anyways, check out Ferrari’s newest shooting brake run the gamut of all climate situations. lol.

The specs on the latest generation Audi RS6 powertrain read more like a race car spec sheet than a 4-door passenger car options list. So what happens when you turn up the boost? The Evotech’s Audi C6 RS6 is what happens. Pretty impressive keeping up with Ferrari’s latest prancing horse.